US4523471A - Composite transducer structure - Google Patents

Composite transducer structure Download PDF

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Publication number
US4523471A
US4523471A US06/425,216 US42521682A US4523471A US 4523471 A US4523471 A US 4523471A US 42521682 A US42521682 A US 42521682A US 4523471 A US4523471 A US 4523471A
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United States
Prior art keywords
transducer elements
transducer
ultrasonic
elements
sensitivity
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Expired - Lifetime
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US06/425,216
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Paul P. Lee
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BIOSOUND Inc 6405 CASTLEWAY COURT INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA 46250
Biosound Inc
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Biosound Inc
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Priority to US06/425,216 priority Critical patent/US4523471A/en
Assigned to HONEYWELL INC., A CORP. OF DE. reassignment HONEYWELL INC., A CORP. OF DE. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: LEE, PAUL P.
Assigned to BIOSOUND. INC., 6405 CASTLEWAY COURT INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA 46250 reassignment BIOSOUND. INC., 6405 CASTLEWAY COURT INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA 46250 ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: HONEYWELL INC.
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10K—SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G10K11/00—Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound in general; Methods or devices for protecting against, or for damping, noise or other acoustic waves in general
    • G10K11/18—Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound
    • G10K11/26—Sound-focusing or directing, e.g. scanning
    • G10K11/32—Sound-focusing or directing, e.g. scanning characterised by the shape of the source
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N29/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves; Visualisation of the interior of objects by transmitting ultrasonic or sonic waves through the object
    • G01N29/22—Details, e.g. general constructional or apparatus details
    • G01N29/24—Probes
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N29/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves; Visualisation of the interior of objects by transmitting ultrasonic or sonic waves through the object
    • G01N29/22—Details, e.g. general constructional or apparatus details
    • G01N29/26—Arrangements for orientation or scanning by relative movement of the head and the sensor
    • G01N29/262—Arrangements for orientation or scanning by relative movement of the head and the sensor by electronic orientation or focusing, e.g. with phased arrays

Definitions

  • This invention relates to ultrasonic imaging, or doppler and more particularly to an improved transducer structure useful in ultrasonic imaging or doppler, especially in the area of medical diagnosis.
  • Ultrasonic transducers are well known in the art and a large variety of shapes and sizes have been proposed.
  • One particularly useful configuration for medical diagnosis is an annular array wherein one or more ring shaped transducing elements are arranged in concentric fashion about an axis in order to pulse energy into a body and to receive the reflected energy from internal organs.
  • An example of such a transducer may be found in the Specht et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,611, issued Dec. 30, 1980.
  • This patent also notes that one of the rings may be dedicated to transmit energy while the remainder of the rings may be used to receive energy.
  • the transmit ring is a separate ring, it can then be made of a different material which is more efficient as a transmitter than as a receiver.
  • the Dorr et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,327,286 issued June 30, 1967 also shows a sonic transducer having two annular elements one of which is a transmitter and the other of which is a receiver.
  • the difficulty with the prior art has been the problem of obtaining increased sensitivity without having beam pattern degradation. More specifically, it is desirable to have a beam pattern which is substantially symmetrical at all depths at which the transducer is to be used. I have determined that one way of obtaining this desired beam pattern is to construct a transducer array in which alternate ones of the transducer elements transmit radiation while the opposite alternate ones receive the reflected radiation and the area of all of the elements is substantially the same. Furthermore, by constructing a tranducer in this manner and utilizing a material for the transmitting elements which is chosen for high transmit sensitivity and utilizing a different material chosen for high receive sensitivity for the receiving elements an increase of sensitivity results.
  • the present invention increases the sensitivity of an ultrasonic transducer without losing beam pattern symmetry by utilizing elements which are alternately arranged as transmitters and receivers, all of which are of substantially the same area in order to obtain a good beam pattern and in which the transmitters are composed of material which has a high transmit sensitivity while the receivers are composed of a slightly different material which has a high receive sensitivity.
  • FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic transducer constructed in an annular arrangement
  • FIG. 2 is a top view of the transducer of FIG. 1.
  • FIGS. 1 and 2 show an ultrasonic transducer 10 consisting of a plurality of transducing elements 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17, arranged as concentric rings in an annular array.
  • the area of each of the elements is substantially the same as can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 by the fact that the width of the elements decreases as the distance from the center increases.
  • Alternate ones of the elements, e.g., 12, 14, and 16 are connected together by conductor 18 to a transmitter 20.
  • the other alternate ones of the elements, e.g., 13, 15, and 17 are connected together by a conductor 22 to a receiver 24.
  • Upon a signal from transmitter 20 elements 12, 14, and 16 transmit a pulse of ultrasonic energy in a general direction shown by arrow 26 to a remotely located object such as the internal parts of a body. Reflections from the internal parts are received by elements 13, 15, and 17 and are presented to receiver 24 for use thereby in an imaging system (not shown) which may be like that described in the James M. Gessert co-pending application, Ser. No. 173,874, filed July 30, 1980.
  • elements 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 are substantially the same, the beam pattern of the energy transmitted and received by the transducer 10 remains symmetric throughout the range of depth for which the transducer is to be used.
  • elements 12, 14, and 16 are made from a material which has high transmit sensitivity even though such material may have a low receive sensitivity while elements 13, 15, and 17 are made from a material which has high receive sensitivity even though such material may have a rather low transmit sensitivity.
  • the transmitter sensitivity is increased and the receiver sensitivity is increased without a loss of beam pattern symmetry.
  • PZPT lead zirconate lead titinate
  • PZPT lead zirconate lead titinate
  • An example of a material having high receive sensitivity is PZPT consisting of about sixty-five percent lead zirconate and about thirty-five percent lead titinate with a niobium oxide dopant.
  • Other materials will occur to those skilled in the art.

Abstract

An ultrasonic transducer in which a plurality of elements are employed alternate ones of which are utilized as transmitters and receivers and having the same area but in which the transmitter elements are composed of material having a high transmit sensitivity while the receiver elements are composed of a material having a high receive sensitivity.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to ultrasonic imaging, or doppler and more particularly to an improved transducer structure useful in ultrasonic imaging or doppler, especially in the area of medical diagnosis.
Ultrasonic transducers are well known in the art and a large variety of shapes and sizes have been proposed. One particularly useful configuration for medical diagnosis is an annular array wherein one or more ring shaped transducing elements are arranged in concentric fashion about an axis in order to pulse energy into a body and to receive the reflected energy from internal organs. An example of such a transducer may be found in the Specht et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,611, issued Dec. 30, 1980. This patent also notes that one of the rings may be dedicated to transmit energy while the remainder of the rings may be used to receive energy. Also, if the transmit ring is a separate ring, it can then be made of a different material which is more efficient as a transmitter than as a receiver. The Dorr et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,327,286 issued June 30, 1967 also shows a sonic transducer having two annular elements one of which is a transmitter and the other of which is a receiver.
The difficulty with the prior art has been the problem of obtaining increased sensitivity without having beam pattern degradation. More specifically, it is desirable to have a beam pattern which is substantially symmetrical at all depths at which the transducer is to be used. I have determined that one way of obtaining this desired beam pattern is to construct a transducer array in which alternate ones of the transducer elements transmit radiation while the opposite alternate ones receive the reflected radiation and the area of all of the elements is substantially the same. Furthermore, by constructing a tranducer in this manner and utilizing a material for the transmitting elements which is chosen for high transmit sensitivity and utilizing a different material chosen for high receive sensitivity for the receiving elements an increase of sensitivity results.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention increases the sensitivity of an ultrasonic transducer without losing beam pattern symmetry by utilizing elements which are alternately arranged as transmitters and receivers, all of which are of substantially the same area in order to obtain a good beam pattern and in which the transmitters are composed of material which has a high transmit sensitivity while the receivers are composed of a slightly different material which has a high receive sensitivity.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic transducer constructed in an annular arrangement; and
FIG. 2 is a top view of the transducer of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIGS. 1 and 2 show an ultrasonic transducer 10 consisting of a plurality of transducing elements 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17, arranged as concentric rings in an annular array. The area of each of the elements is substantially the same as can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 by the fact that the width of the elements decreases as the distance from the center increases.
Alternate ones of the elements, e.g., 12, 14, and 16 are connected together by conductor 18 to a transmitter 20. The other alternate ones of the elements, e.g., 13, 15, and 17 are connected together by a conductor 22 to a receiver 24. Upon a signal from transmitter 20 elements 12, 14, and 16 transmit a pulse of ultrasonic energy in a general direction shown by arrow 26 to a remotely located object such as the internal parts of a body. Reflections from the internal parts are received by elements 13, 15, and 17 and are presented to receiver 24 for use thereby in an imaging system (not shown) which may be like that described in the James M. Gessert co-pending application, Ser. No. 173,874, filed July 30, 1980. Since the area of elements 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 are substantially the same, the beam pattern of the energy transmitted and received by the transducer 10 remains symmetric throughout the range of depth for which the transducer is to be used. In order to increase sensitivity, however, elements 12, 14, and 16 are made from a material which has high transmit sensitivity even though such material may have a low receive sensitivity while elements 13, 15, and 17 are made from a material which has high receive sensitivity even though such material may have a rather low transmit sensitivity. By this means the transmitter sensitivity is increased and the receiver sensitivity is increased without a loss of beam pattern symmetry. An example of a material having high transmit sensitivity is lead zirconate lead titinate (PZPT) comprising approximately fifty-three percent lead zirconate and approximately forty-seven percent lead titinate and which utilizes a lanthanum oxide dopant. An example of a material having high receive sensitivity is PZPT consisting of about sixty-five percent lead zirconate and about thirty-five percent lead titinate with a niobium oxide dopant. Other materials will occur to those skilled in the art.
While the present invention has been shown in connection with an annular array of transducing elements, it should be understood that a linear array in which alternate elements are transmitters and receivers but in which all of the elements have the same area and in which the receivers and transmitters utilize high receive sensitivity and high transmit sensitivity materials respectively could be employed. I therefore do not wish to be limited by the disclosures used in connection with the preferred embodiment, but wish to be limited only by the following claims.

Claims (5)

I claim:
1. An ultrasonic transducer comprising:
means for transmitting an ultrasonic energy pulse beam into an object region, said transmitting means including a first plurality of transducer elements, each of which is constructed of a material which is sensitive to ultrasonic energy and is higher in transmit sensitivity than receive sensitivity;
means for receiving an echo pulse beam produced by said transmitting means and reflected from said object region, said receiving means including a second plurality of transducer elements, each of which is constructed of a material which is sensitive to ultrasonic energy and is higher in receive sensitivity than transmit sensitivity;
means mounting transducer elements for the first plurality alternately with and laterally arranged relative to the transducer elements of the second plurality; and
said transducer elements of said first plurality of transducer elements being fabricated of a material which is about fifty-three percent lead zirconate and about forty-seven percent lead titinate doped with lanthanum oxide and said transducer elements of said second plurality of transducer elements is fabricated of a material which is about sixty-five percent lead zirconate and about thirty-five percent lead titinate doped with niobium oxide.
2. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 1 wherein the transducer elements of both the first and second plurality of transducer elements are ring-shaped and said mounting means mounts the transducer elements annularly.
3. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 2 wherein all of the transducer elements of said first and second plurality of transducer elements all have substantially the same area.
4. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 2 which further includes connection means for connecting the transducer elements of the first plurality of trnsducer elements to an ultrasonic transmitter and for connecting the transducer elements of said second plurality of transducer elements to an ultrasonic receiver.
5. An ultrasonic transducer comprising:
means for transmitting an ultrasonic energy pulse beam into an object region, said transmitting means including a first plurality of transducer elements, each of which is constructed of a material which is sensitive to ultrasonic energy and is higher in transmit sensitivity than receive sensitivity;
means for receiving an echo pulse beam produced by said transmitting means and reflected from said object region, said receiving means including a second plurality of transducer elements, each of which is constructed of a material which is sensitive to ultrasonic energy and is higher in receive sensitivity than transmit sensitivity;
means mounting transducer elements for the first plurality alternately with and laterally arranged relative to the transducer elements of the second plurality;
said transducer elements of both the first and second plurality of transducer elements are ring-shaped and said mounting means mounts the transducer elements annularly and wherein all of the transducer elements of the first and second plurality of transducer elements have substantially the same area;
connection means for connecting the transducer elements of the first plurality to an ultrasonic transmitter and for connecting the transducer elements of the second plurality to an ultrasonic receiver; and
said transducer elements of the first plurality of transducer elements is fabricated from a material which is about fifty-three percent lead zirconate and about forty-seven percent lead titinate doped with lanthanum oxide and said transducer elements of the second plurality of transducer elements is fabricated of a material which is about sixty-five percent lead zirconate and about thirty-five percent titinate doped with niobium oxide.
US06/425,216 1982-09-28 1982-09-28 Composite transducer structure Expired - Lifetime US4523471A (en)

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Cited By (27)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4664122A (en) * 1984-07-25 1987-05-12 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Ultrasonic transducer array used in ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus
US4695988A (en) * 1984-09-12 1987-09-22 Ngk Spark Plug Co. Ltd. Underwater piezoelectric arrangement
US4841494A (en) * 1987-07-03 1989-06-20 Ngk Spark Plug Co., Ltd. Underwater piezoelectric arrangement
EP0372589A2 (en) * 1988-12-09 1990-06-13 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Ultrasonic probe
US5316000A (en) * 1991-03-05 1994-05-31 Technomed International (Societe Anonyme) Use of at least one composite piezoelectric transducer in the manufacture of an ultrasonic therapy apparatus for applying therapy, in a body zone, in particular to concretions, to tissue, or to bones, of a living being and method of ultrasonic therapy
US5539965A (en) * 1994-06-22 1996-07-30 Rutgers, The University Of New Jersey Method for making piezoelectric composites
US5615466A (en) * 1994-06-22 1997-04-01 Rutgers University Mehtod for making piezoelectric composites
US5757104A (en) * 1994-10-10 1998-05-26 Endress + Hauser Gmbh + Co. Method of operating an ultransonic piezoelectric transducer and circuit arrangement for performing the method
EP0921757A1 (en) * 1996-03-22 1999-06-16 Lockheed Martin IR Imaging Systems, Inc. Ultrasonic array with attenuating electrical interconnects
US20030220554A1 (en) * 2002-05-23 2003-11-27 Volumetrics Medical Imaging, Inc. Two-dimensional ultrasonic array with asymmetric apertures
US20050033182A1 (en) * 2003-07-01 2005-02-10 Marino Cerofolini Electronic array probe for ultrasonic imaging
US20050073412A1 (en) * 2002-06-05 2005-04-07 Johnston Kendall Ryan Broad field motion detector
US20050160336A1 (en) * 2003-11-12 2005-07-21 Masaki Oiso Semiconductor LSI circuit with scan circuit, scan circuit system, scanning test system and method
US20080228074A1 (en) * 2007-03-12 2008-09-18 Ketterling Jeffrey A System and method for measuring acoustic pressure at multiple locations simultaneously
US20090270735A1 (en) * 2003-07-01 2009-10-29 Esaote, S.P.A. Electronic array probe for ultrasonic imaging
US20110301467A1 (en) * 2010-06-04 2011-12-08 Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation Medical ultrasound 2-d transducer array architecture: spot of arago
US20120071761A1 (en) * 2010-09-21 2012-03-22 Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation Medical ultrasound 2-d transducer array using fresnel lens approach
US20120071763A1 (en) * 2010-09-21 2012-03-22 Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation Medical ultrasound 2-d transducer array using fresnel lens approach
CN102406511A (en) * 2010-09-21 2012-04-11 株式会社东芝 Ultrasonic Probe And Ultrasonic Diagnostic Device
US20130207518A1 (en) * 2011-04-11 2013-08-15 Haliburton Energy Services, Inc. Electrical contacts to a ring transducer
US20130303914A1 (en) * 2012-05-14 2013-11-14 Acist Medical Systems, Inc. Multiple transducer delivery device and method
WO2016061410A1 (en) * 2014-10-15 2016-04-21 Qualcomm Incorporated Three-port piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer
DE102015209234A1 (en) * 2015-05-20 2016-11-24 Robert Bosch Gmbh Device for emitting and / or receiving acoustic signals
CN107530060A (en) * 2015-05-14 2018-01-02 安德拉有限公司 System and method for being imaged to mechanics of biological tissue
US9995821B2 (en) 2014-10-15 2018-06-12 Qualcomm Incorporated Active beam-forming technique for piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer array
US10497748B2 (en) 2015-10-14 2019-12-03 Qualcomm Incorporated Integrated piezoelectric micromechanical ultrasonic transducer pixel and array
US11047830B2 (en) * 2016-12-19 2021-06-29 Safran Device and a method for non-destructively characterizing a material

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US3922572A (en) * 1974-08-12 1975-11-25 Us Navy Electroacoustical transducer
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US4241611A (en) * 1979-03-02 1980-12-30 Smith Kline Instruments, Inc. Ultrasonic diagnostic transducer assembly and system
US4305014A (en) * 1978-07-05 1981-12-08 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Piezoelectric array using parallel connected elements to form groups which groups are ≈1/2λ in width
US4354132A (en) * 1979-04-06 1982-10-12 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Ultrasonic transducer with a plastic piezoelectric receiving layer and a non plastic transmitting layer
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Patent Citations (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2875355A (en) * 1954-05-24 1959-02-24 Gulton Ind Inc Ultrasonic zone plate focusing transducer
US2875607A (en) * 1955-07-01 1959-03-03 Babcock & Wilcox Co Ultrasonic testing apparatus
US2896098A (en) * 1955-07-01 1959-07-21 Babcock & Wilcox Co Ultrasonic probes
US3019636A (en) * 1958-10-30 1962-02-06 Sperry Prod Inc Ultrasonic inspection and measuring means
US3327286A (en) * 1965-10-22 1967-06-20 Westinghouse Electric Corp Transducer
US3616682A (en) * 1968-09-23 1971-11-02 Univ Ohio State Ultrasonic nondestructive thickness gauge
US3922572A (en) * 1974-08-12 1975-11-25 Us Navy Electroacoustical transducer
US4096755A (en) * 1977-08-31 1978-06-27 The Boeing Company Ultrasonic inspection apparatus
US4180792A (en) * 1978-03-09 1979-12-25 General Electric Company Transmit-receive transducer array and ultrasonic imaging system
US4155259A (en) * 1978-05-24 1979-05-22 General Electric Company Ultrasonic imaging system
US4305014A (en) * 1978-07-05 1981-12-08 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Piezoelectric array using parallel connected elements to form groups which groups are ≈1/2λ in width
US4241611A (en) * 1979-03-02 1980-12-30 Smith Kline Instruments, Inc. Ultrasonic diagnostic transducer assembly and system
US4354132A (en) * 1979-04-06 1982-10-12 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Ultrasonic transducer with a plastic piezoelectric receiving layer and a non plastic transmitting layer
US4398116A (en) * 1981-04-30 1983-08-09 Siemens Gammasonics, Inc. Transducer for electronic focal scanning in an ultrasound imaging device

Cited By (44)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4664122A (en) * 1984-07-25 1987-05-12 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Ultrasonic transducer array used in ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus
US4695988A (en) * 1984-09-12 1987-09-22 Ngk Spark Plug Co. Ltd. Underwater piezoelectric arrangement
US4841494A (en) * 1987-07-03 1989-06-20 Ngk Spark Plug Co., Ltd. Underwater piezoelectric arrangement
EP0372589A2 (en) * 1988-12-09 1990-06-13 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Ultrasonic probe
US4961176A (en) * 1988-12-09 1990-10-02 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Ultrasonic probe
EP0372589A3 (en) * 1988-12-09 1991-11-13 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Ultrasonic probe
US5316000A (en) * 1991-03-05 1994-05-31 Technomed International (Societe Anonyme) Use of at least one composite piezoelectric transducer in the manufacture of an ultrasonic therapy apparatus for applying therapy, in a body zone, in particular to concretions, to tissue, or to bones, of a living being and method of ultrasonic therapy
US5539965A (en) * 1994-06-22 1996-07-30 Rutgers, The University Of New Jersey Method for making piezoelectric composites
US5615466A (en) * 1994-06-22 1997-04-01 Rutgers University Mehtod for making piezoelectric composites
US5757104A (en) * 1994-10-10 1998-05-26 Endress + Hauser Gmbh + Co. Method of operating an ultransonic piezoelectric transducer and circuit arrangement for performing the method
EP0921757A1 (en) * 1996-03-22 1999-06-16 Lockheed Martin IR Imaging Systems, Inc. Ultrasonic array with attenuating electrical interconnects
EP0921757A4 (en) * 1996-03-22 2000-03-15 Lockheed Martin Ir Imaging Sys Ultrasonic array with attenuating electrical interconnects
US20030220554A1 (en) * 2002-05-23 2003-11-27 Volumetrics Medical Imaging, Inc. Two-dimensional ultrasonic array with asymmetric apertures
US6783497B2 (en) * 2002-05-23 2004-08-31 Volumetrics Medical Imaging, Inc. Two-dimensional ultrasonic array with asymmetric apertures
US20050073412A1 (en) * 2002-06-05 2005-04-07 Johnston Kendall Ryan Broad field motion detector
US7277012B2 (en) * 2002-06-05 2007-10-02 The Watt Stopper, Inc. Broad field motion detector
US20050033182A1 (en) * 2003-07-01 2005-02-10 Marino Cerofolini Electronic array probe for ultrasonic imaging
US7559897B2 (en) * 2003-07-01 2009-07-14 Esaote, S.P.A. Electronic array probe for ultrasonic imaging
US20090270735A1 (en) * 2003-07-01 2009-10-29 Esaote, S.P.A. Electronic array probe for ultrasonic imaging
US8390181B2 (en) 2003-07-01 2013-03-05 Esaote S.P.A. Electronic array probe for ultrasonic imaging
US20050160336A1 (en) * 2003-11-12 2005-07-21 Masaki Oiso Semiconductor LSI circuit with scan circuit, scan circuit system, scanning test system and method
US20080228074A1 (en) * 2007-03-12 2008-09-18 Ketterling Jeffrey A System and method for measuring acoustic pressure at multiple locations simultaneously
US20110301467A1 (en) * 2010-06-04 2011-12-08 Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation Medical ultrasound 2-d transducer array architecture: spot of arago
US9066703B2 (en) * 2010-06-04 2015-06-30 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Medical ultrasound 2-D transducer array architecture: spot of arago
US20120071761A1 (en) * 2010-09-21 2012-03-22 Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation Medical ultrasound 2-d transducer array using fresnel lens approach
JP2012066078A (en) * 2010-09-21 2012-04-05 Toshiba Corp Ultrasound probe and ultrasound imaging system
US20130231569A1 (en) * 2010-09-21 2013-09-05 Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation Medical ultrasound 2-d transducer array using fresnel lens approach
US20120071763A1 (en) * 2010-09-21 2012-03-22 Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation Medical ultrasound 2-d transducer array using fresnel lens approach
CN102406511A (en) * 2010-09-21 2012-04-11 株式会社东芝 Ultrasonic Probe And Ultrasonic Diagnostic Device
US20130207518A1 (en) * 2011-04-11 2013-08-15 Haliburton Energy Services, Inc. Electrical contacts to a ring transducer
US9401470B2 (en) * 2011-04-11 2016-07-26 Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. Electrical contacts to a ring transducer
US9549679B2 (en) * 2012-05-14 2017-01-24 Acist Medical Systems, Inc. Multiple transducer delivery device and method
US20130303914A1 (en) * 2012-05-14 2013-11-14 Acist Medical Systems, Inc. Multiple transducer delivery device and method
US11109836B2 (en) 2012-05-14 2021-09-07 Acist Medical Systems, Inc. Multiple transducer delivery device and method
US10001552B2 (en) 2014-10-15 2018-06-19 Qualcomm Incorporated Three-port piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer
US9995821B2 (en) 2014-10-15 2018-06-12 Qualcomm Incorporated Active beam-forming technique for piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer array
US10139479B2 (en) 2014-10-15 2018-11-27 Qualcomm Incorporated Superpixel array of piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers for 2-D beamforming
WO2016061410A1 (en) * 2014-10-15 2016-04-21 Qualcomm Incorporated Three-port piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer
CN107530060A (en) * 2015-05-14 2018-01-02 安德拉有限公司 System and method for being imaged to mechanics of biological tissue
US20180206826A1 (en) * 2015-05-14 2018-07-26 Endra, Inc. Systems and methods for imaging biological tissue structures
US10898166B2 (en) * 2015-05-14 2021-01-26 Endra Life Sciences Inc. Systems and methods for imaging biological tissue structures
DE102015209234A1 (en) * 2015-05-20 2016-11-24 Robert Bosch Gmbh Device for emitting and / or receiving acoustic signals
US10497748B2 (en) 2015-10-14 2019-12-03 Qualcomm Incorporated Integrated piezoelectric micromechanical ultrasonic transducer pixel and array
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